Cigarettes contain not only cut tobacco obtained by cutting lamina tobacco, but also reconstructed cut tobacco obtained by cutting sheet tobacco as filling materials. For example, such sheet tobacco is formed by a forming machine described in Patent Document 1, and the forming machine includes an adjustment apparatus for adjusting the basis weight of the sheet tobacco.
The basis weight of the sheet tobacco determines the thickness of the reconstructed cut tobacco and thus greatly affects the taste of the cigarette. Therefore, the sheet tobacco manufactured by the forming machine is sampled at fixed time intervals. The weight of a sample is measured using a scale, and based on the result of the measurement, the basis weight of the sheet tobacco is calculated.
When the calculated basis weight falls out of a basis weight standard range required for the sheet tobacco, the adjustment apparatus in the forming machine is actuated so as to make the basis weight of the sheet tobacco fall within the standard range.